Hedge-trimmer



(No Model.)

, H 3 Sheeta-Sheet 1. C. T. SWART'Z.

HEDGE TRIMMER.

I Patented Jan. 3, 1888.,

n Pcmrs Photn-Lilhogmvher, Wuhinglun. o a

(No Model.) f 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

G. T. SWARTZ. HEDGE TRIMMERL "No. 376 ,054 v Patented Ja m fw N. PETERS, Phulo-ljlb ognpher, WuhInglum-PI-G (fie Model.) 7 3 Sheets-Shet 3.

{ 4 C. T. SWARTZ. I

HEDGE TRIMMER.

ea/canted Jan. 3, 1888.

61 ii/ng RS Phu \IrLilhognpMr. Wauhington. bit.

, hedge-trimmer which can be attached to and 'board. vFig. 4. is a perspective of the tail- ,board and a portion of the .To all whom it may concern.-

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OLINTON T. SWVARTZ, OF EL PASO, ILLINOIS.

HEDGE-TRIMMER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 37 6,054, dated January 3, 1888.

' Application filed May 18.1887. Serial No. 238,660. (No model.)

Be it known that I, CLINTON T. SWAR'IZ, of El Paso, in the county of Woodfordand State of Illinois, have invented acertain new and useful Improvement in Hedge-Trimmers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in hedge-trimmersi and it consistsin the arrangement and combination of parts, which will be more fully described hereinafter, and pointed out'in the claims. i

The object of my invention is to provide a removed from thebed of an ordinary wagon at will, and which trimmer, as the wagon is drawn along, will trim the top or the side of the hedge, and in which the operating parts can be raised and lowered at the will of the driver, so as to trim the hedge at any desired height.

Figure 1 is a perspective of a machine embodying my invention detached from the wagon-bed. Fig. 2 is a perspective of the tailboard and the lever attached thereto. Fig. 3 is a detail view showing a device by means of which the machine can be attached to the tailframe to which the operating parts of the machine are attached. Fig. 5 is a plan view, and Fig. 6 is'a detail view, of my invention. Fig. 7 is a side elevation of a machine embodying my invention complete. I

To the rear side of the tail-board A of an ordinary wagon-bed are secured the vertical dovetailed cleats B, behind which the corresponding cleats, G, upon the vertical portion D of the frame, catch. The cleats O, as shown in Fig. 4:, are beveled, so as to catch behind the cleats B, and thus rigidly support the framework, upon which the operating parts are mounted in position. If so preferred, instead of the cleats B 0, there may be securedto the tail-board the vertical metallic guide 0, and to the vertical portion D of the frame-work bearings F, and through may be secured catches B, which will catch over the guides C, as shown in Fig. 3, and thus hold the frame-work in position in the same manner as the cleats. Either metallic guides or the vertical wooden cleats may be used, as may be preferred.

The framework, upon which the operating parts areplaced, consists of the vertical board D, which projects a suitable distance beyond the side of the wagon-bed at one end, andthe 6o horizontal part E, which is secured upon the top edge of the part D. This part Eis shorter than the part D, but has-,its outer end finsh with the outer end of the part D. This framework is preferably made of boards or timbers of suitable thickness; but, if so desired, this frame-work may be made of iron and in asingle part. Extending across thetop of the frame are the two bearings F, upon the outer end of which are secured suitable boxes, in

which the shaft G is journaled. Placed upon this shaft G, and secured rigidly thereto, is

the stationary part of the clutch H, with which the sliding pinion Lengages when brought in contact with it. This pinion, teeth formed upon its inner end, when it is in contact with the stationary part of the clutch and the wagon is set in motion, causes the shaft G to revolve, and thus operate the beveled gear J, secured to one end of the shaft. sliding pinion I is moved horizontally back and forth upon the shaft G, and when out of contact with the stationary part H of the clutch, is made to revolve idly around by the driving-chain K, which passes over and 0p 25 erates it. The pinion 1, around which the chain K passes, is operated by the sliding lever L, which is provided with a series of teeth for engaging with the guide N on one of the This sliding lever is provided with ahandle, at one end, so that the operator can move the pinion I back and forth upon the shaft G,and then by causing one of the notches on the lever to catch over the guide pinion are heldin the position into which they, have been adjusted. L The gear J on the end of the shaft G meshes with the pinion M on the inner end oflthe shaft 0, which, when in operation,

the crank-wheel P to revolve, and thusoperate the pitman Q, which operates the cutter-bar having clutch- The 8.).

which it passes. cc

N the lever and causes the [00 for the purpose of trimming the hedge. This shaft 0 serves the double capacity of operating the cutter-bar, and as a pivot upon which the finger-bar turns. The inner end of the finger-bar is provided with two bearings, It, and these bearings catch over the shaft 0, which is the center of motion. The fingerbar is pivoted upon this shaft for the purpose of allowing the cutter-bar to be operated either in a horizontal or a vertical line, as may be preferred. \Vhen the top of the hedge is to be trimmed, the finger-bar is raised into a horizontal position, as shown in Fig. 1; but when the sides of the hedge are to be trimmed it is dropped down intoa vertical position,as shown by dotted lines. \Vhen the finger-bar is in a horizontal position, it is supported by the ehai n S, which is hooked into a hook or catch secured to the finger-bar at one end, and which passes over the guiding-roller P upon a suitable upright, a, secured to the end of the frame, and catches over a hook on the operating-lever U, pivoted upon the vertical portion D of the frame-work. By adjusting the lever U the chain S will be made to hold the finger-bar in any desired position. \Vhen the finger-bar is to be used 'in a vertical position, the chain A is detached from it, the bar lowered into the vertical position shown in dotted lines, and then the rod V, (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1,) secured to the lower end of the lever U, is connected to the inner side of the finger-bar,

so as to brace the finger-bar rigidly in position,

No matter whether the fingerbar is in a horizontaha vertical,or any intermediate position, it will operate as well.

Pivoted upon the tail-board A, as shown in Fig. 2, is the lever V, which has its inner end turned outward at a suitable angle and braced rigidly in position, and to which turned-out and braced end is secured a chain X, which is fastened to the outer end of the framework for the purpose of regulating the height at which it shall be held, and the height at which the hedge shall be trimmed. In connection with both of the levers W and U are suitable spring-actuated catches, which engage with ratchet-bars for the purpose of holding the leversin any position into which they may be adjusted. Used in connection with the lever W and chain X for holding and supporting the frame-work in position are the hanger Y, upright Z, and the runner A. The hanger Y is secured to the vertical portion D of the frame, and is provided with suitable clamping-bolts, which pass through the vertical slot made in the upright Z, which is pivoted at its lower end to the runner A.

\Vhen it is desired to either raise or lower the frame work upon which the operating parts are placed, the nuts upon the clampingbolts are loosened,and then the frame is either raised or lowered by the lever IV and chain X, and then the nuts are again tightened, and

the frame is supported rigidly in position.

The runner A will be made of a suitable length and bear upon the ground inside of the wheel, so that in case the wheel should run over any obstruction the runner will continue to support the frame and hold it so rigidly in position that the cutter-bar will not be raised or lowered so as to show uneven work. The front end of this runner is connected to the side of the wagon-bed by a jointed couplingrod of any suitable COl'lSllllClllOll. As the wagon moves forward, this jointed couplingrod D draws the runner along, so that there will be no strain upon the hanger Y and upright Z. The upright Z is pivoted to this runner, so that the runner can have an independent motion from the upright, and thus cause as little deviation to the cutter-bar from a straight line as possible.

Through the top of the frame is made a suitable opening, E, and under this opening is journaled aguiding-pinion, F, over which the chain K passes. This operating chain K passes around and is operated by a suitable sprocket-wheel, G, which is secured to the inner side of one of the wheels of the wagon in any suitable manner, and the chain passes from this wheel over the guiding-roller H, over the sliding pinion I, over the top of the guiding-pinion F, and then down around the tension-pulley 1 on the rod J back to the wheel G. The front end of the rod J catches between suitable guides, K, secured to the side of the wagon-bed, and which slides back and forth in these guides for the purpose of keeping the requisite tension upon the chain K tov cause it to operate the different parts. Journaled upon the outer side of this rod J is a bearingroller, L, against which the bent rod M bears. This rod Mis secured to the vertical part D of the frame, and is strengthened in position by the brace N.

The lower end of the rod M is bent, as shown, so as to stand at a suitable angle to the roller L, upon the top of which it bears. The lower end of the brace N is secured to the lower end of the rod M, as shown, and serves simply to strengthen and stiffen the rod M in position. The downward pressure of the rod M upon the roller Ii serves to force the rod J, carrying the guidingroller 1 upon its outer end, outward for the purpose of exerting a sufficient tension upon the chain K to keep it always taut. By this construction the chain K is kept automatically stretched, so as to make sure that the parts will operate.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. In a hedge-trimmer, the combination, with the bed of a wagon provided with a tailboard, and vertical guides or cleats secured thereto, ofthe frame-work which supports the operating parts, and which is also provided with vertical cleats or guides, a lever which isjournaled upon the tail-board, a chain connected thereto, a runner, and an upright, Z, connected to both the frame and the runner, whereby the operating parts can be raised and lowered, substantially as shown. 2. The combination of the frame-work upon IIO which the operating parts are placed, the lever sion-pulley I and 'a roller, L' the rod M for U, having the chain fastened to it' above its bearing against the roller, and the guides K, pivot, and the rod V, fastened to it below its in which the rod J moves, substantially as pivot, the fingerrbar, and the shaft 0, upon specified. 1 5 which the finger-bar is journaled, whereby the In testimony whereof I affix my signature in vfinger-bar can be held and operated in any depresence of two witnesses. sired position, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of the wagon-wheel, the CLINTON wheel G, secured thereto, the operating-chain Witnesses:

[ O which passes around the pulleys of the oper- JOSEPH B. SWARTZ,

ating'nnechanism, the rod J, carrying the ten- JOHN W. ELLENBERGER. 

